317th Troop Carrier Group
Encyclopedia
The 317th Troop Carrier Group is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. It was last assigned to the 317th Tactical Airlift Wing, stationed at Pope Air Force Base
, North Carolina
. It was inactivated on 1 April 1980.
During World War II
the group operated primarily in the Southwest Pacific Theater transporting such things as gasoline, ammunition, medicine, rations, communications equipment, construction materials and evacuating wounded personnel during numerous campaigns. Participated in two airborne operations during the 1944–1945 Philippines Campaign. On 3 and 4 February 1945 it dropped paratroops south of Manila
to seize highway routes to the city, and on
16 and 17 February dropped the 503rd Infantry Regiment on Corregidor
to open Manila Bay
to US shipping; received a United States Distinguished Unit Citation for the latter operation, performed at low altitude over small drop zones in a heavily defended area. In addition, the group completed two unusual missions on 12 and 15 April 1945 when the group bombed Carabao Island with drums of Napalm
. Dropped part of 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment
near Aparri on 23 June 1945 to split Japanese forces in the Cagayen Valley and prevent a retreat to the hills in northern Luzon.
The group remained active in Japan after the war as an occupation unit transporting personnel and supplies within the occupied areas. It was reassigned to Germany during the Berlin Airlift in 1948 using C-54's to transport coal, food, and other supplies to the blockaded city. Later during the 1950s, the group provided intra-theater airlift for USAFE until being inactivated in 1957 and its squadrons being assigned directly to the 317th TCW.
In July 1942, the Army redesignated the unit the 317th Troop Carrier Group. After receiving several months of training in and around the southern United States, the group had grown into a viable component of America's defense machine. In December of that same year, they departed for Australia in support of General Douglas MacArthur's Southwest Pacific campaigns against the Japanese. The Army Air Forces quickly stripped the 317th of their new C-47s upon arrival in the theater, and in turn gave them the battered aircraft of the veteran 347th Troop Carrier Group. With an assortment of damaged C-47s, C-60s, and cargo versions of the B-17, the 317th set about their mission.
As the Japanese pounded the airdrome at Wau, New Guinea, the 317th endured monsoon conditions, flying low level supply drops to the Australian Army engaged on the airfield in hand-to-hand combat. This mission cost the 317th three aircraft and several men, and for their actions the group received their first Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC).
Spearheading a combined airborne-glider offensive in June 1945, the 317th dropped allied paratroopers over northern Luzon in the Philippine Islands. Enemy anti-aircraft fire was intense, forcing the group to make repeated passes over the drop zone. Soon the Japanese forces were weakened to the point of defeat. Once again the 317th was awarded the DUC for their outstanding performance.
In July 1952, the Air Force reactivated the 317th at Rhein Main as the 317th Troop Carrier Wing. It became the first Air Force unit assigned to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Now flying C-119 "Boxcars", the 317th relocated to Neubiberg Air Base near Munich in 1953. Shortly after their arrival at the Bavarian base, newer C-123 transports arrived to compliment the C-119s.
The 317th continued to fly many humanitarian missions and support NATO airborne units throughout Europe. They airlifted life rafts, tents, and emergency food supplies to flood victims in the Netherlands, and aided thousands of earthquake victims in Italy, Greece, Pakistan and Yugoslavia among many others.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit. It was last assigned to the 317th Tactical Airlift Wing, stationed at Pope Air Force Base
Pope Air Force Base
Pope Field is a United States Army facility located 12 miles northwest of the central business district of Fayetteville, in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States.-Units:...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. It was inactivated on 1 April 1980.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the group operated primarily in the Southwest Pacific Theater transporting such things as gasoline, ammunition, medicine, rations, communications equipment, construction materials and evacuating wounded personnel during numerous campaigns. Participated in two airborne operations during the 1944–1945 Philippines Campaign. On 3 and 4 February 1945 it dropped paratroops south of Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
to seize highway routes to the city, and on
16 and 17 February dropped the 503rd Infantry Regiment on Corregidor
Corregidor
Corregidor Island, locally called Isla ng Corregidor, is a lofty island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in southwestern part of Luzon Island in the Philippines. Due to this location, Corregidor was fortified with several coastal artillery and ammunition magazines to defend the entrance of...
to open Manila Bay
Manila Bay
Manila Bay is a natural harbor which serves the Port of Manila , in the Philippines.The bay is considered to be one of the best natural harbors in Southeast Asia and one of the finest in the world...
to US shipping; received a United States Distinguished Unit Citation for the latter operation, performed at low altitude over small drop zones in a heavily defended area. In addition, the group completed two unusual missions on 12 and 15 April 1945 when the group bombed Carabao Island with drums of Napalm
Napalm
Napalm is a thickening/gelling agent generally mixed with gasoline or a similar fuel for use in an incendiary device, primarily as an anti-personnel weapon...
. Dropped part of 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment
511th Parachute Infantry Regiment (United States)
The 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment was a Parachute Infantry unit of the United States Army first activated during World War II. It formed the parachute infantry element of the 11th Airborne Division....
near Aparri on 23 June 1945 to split Japanese forces in the Cagayen Valley and prevent a retreat to the hills in northern Luzon.
The group remained active in Japan after the war as an occupation unit transporting personnel and supplies within the occupied areas. It was reassigned to Germany during the Berlin Airlift in 1948 using C-54's to transport coal, food, and other supplies to the blockaded city. Later during the 1950s, the group provided intra-theater airlift for USAFE until being inactivated in 1957 and its squadrons being assigned directly to the 317th TCW.
Lineage
- Constituted as 317th Transport Group on 2 February 1942
- Activated on 22 February 1942
- Redesignated 317th Troop Carrier Group (Heavy) in May 1948.
- Inactivated in Germany on 14 September 1949
- Redesignated 317th Troop Carrier Group (Medium) 14 July 1952
- Activated in Germany on 14 July 1952
- Inactivated on 12 March 1957
- Redesignated 317th Troop Carrier Group and activated on 15 September 1978
- Inactivated on 1 April 1980
Assignments
- I Troop Carrier CommandI Troop Carrier CommandThe I Troop Carrier Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the First Air Force, based at Stout Army Air Field, Indiana.Its primary mission was theater troop and logistics transport training...
, 22 February 1942
- Attached to: 52d Troop Carrier Wing52d Troop Carrier Wing (World War II)The 52d Troop Carrier Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the New York Air National Guard. It was inactivated on 31 October 1950....
, 22 February – 3 December 1942- Fifth Air ForceFifth Air ForceThe Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
, 23 January 1943 - 317th Troop Carrier Wing, 18 August 1948 – 14 September 1949; 14 July 1952-12 March 1957; 15 September 1978 – 1 April 1980
- Fifth Air Force
- Detached 21 September 1948 – 8 January 1949
- Not operational c. 31 August – 14 September 1949; 8 May 1955 – 12 March 1957; 15–30 September 1978
Components
- 39th Troop Carrier Squadron39th Airlift SquadronThe 39th Airlift Squadron is a United States Air Force unit based at Dyess Air Force Base, Abilene, Texas. The unit flies the Lockheed C-130 Hercules.-Mission:...
: 22 February 1942 – 14 September 1949; 14 July 1952-12 March 1957 - 40th Troop Carrier Squadron40th Airlift SquadronThe 40th Airlift Squadron is a United States Air Force unit based at Dyess Air Force Base, Abilene, Texas. The unit currently flies the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, but is transitioning to new Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules aircraft, with the first 2 of 14 delivered.. Nicknamed the Screaming...
: 22 February 1942 – 14 September 1949; 14 July 1952-12 March 1957 - 41st Troop Carrier Squadron41st Airlift SquadronThe 41st Airlift Squadron is part of the 19th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. It operates C-130J Super Hercules aircraft.-History:...
: 22 February 1942 – 14 September 1949; 14 July 1952-12 March 1957 - 46th Troop Carrier Squadron46th Troop Carrier SquadronThe 46th Troop Carrier Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last was assigned to the Fifth Air Force, stationed at Tachikawa Air Base, Japan. It was inactivated on 1 April 1949.-History:...
: 22 February 1942 – 14 September 1949
Stations
- Kelly Field, Texas, 22 February 1942
- Bowman Field, KentuckyKentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, 19 Tun 1942 - Lawson Field, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, 11 October 1942 - Maxton Airport, North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, 3–12 December 1942 - RAAF Base TownsvilleRAAF Base TownsvilleRAAF Base Townsville is, along with RAAF Base Tindal and RAAF Base Darwin, one of northern Australia's primary defence installations. It is also Headquarters for No...
, Australia, 23 January 1943 - Port Moresby Airfield Complex, New GuineaNew GuineaNew Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, c. 30 September 1943 - Finschhafen Airfield, New GuineaNew GuineaNew Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, April 1944 - Hollandia Airfield Complex, Netherlands East Indies, June 1944
- Dulag AirfieldDulag AirfieldDulag Airfield is a World War II airfield located near Dulag in the province of Leyte, Philippines. It was closed after the war.-History:The airfield was built by the Japanese during the Occupation of the Philippines in 1943...
, LeyteLeyteLeyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
, Philippines, 17 November 1944
- Clark Field, LuzonLuzonLuzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
, Philippines, c. 17 March 1945 - Motobu AirfieldMotobu AirfieldMotobu Airfield is a World War II airfield on the Motobu Peninsula of Okinawa, near the East China Sea coast. The airfield was deactivated after 1945.-History:...
, Okinawa, 24 August 1945 - Kimpo Airfield, KoreaKoreaKorea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, 31 October 1945 - Tachikawa AirfieldTachikawa Airfieldis an airfield in the city of Tachikawa, the western part of Tokyo, Japan. Currently under the administration of the Ministry of Defense, it has also served as the civil aviation with Japan's first scheduled air service.-Operations:...
, Japan, c. 15 January 1946-c. 21 September 1948 - Wiesbaden AB, Germany, c. 30 September 1948;
- Celle RAF Station, Germany (Later West Germany)GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, 15 December 1948 – 14 September 1949 - Rhein-Main AB, West GermanyWest GermanyWest Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, 14 July 1952 - Neubiberg AB, West GermanyWest GermanyWest Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, 21 March 1953 – 12 March 1957 - Pope AFB, North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, 15 September 1978 – 1 April 1980
Aircraft
- C-47, 1942–1947
- C-39, C-49, C-60, B-17, LB-30, 1943–1943
- C-46, 1945–1947
- C-54, 1947–1948
- C-119, 1952–1957
- C-130, 1978–1980
World War II
The group's humble beginning occurred on 22 February 1942 at Duncan Field near San Antonio, Texas. Eighteen enlisted men and one Captain formed the entire unit. However it wouldn't be long before the 317th tenant squadrons would acquire the venerable Douglas C-47 Skytrain and the familiar drone of rotating props would become forever synonymous with the 317th.In July 1942, the Army redesignated the unit the 317th Troop Carrier Group. After receiving several months of training in and around the southern United States, the group had grown into a viable component of America's defense machine. In December of that same year, they departed for Australia in support of General Douglas MacArthur's Southwest Pacific campaigns against the Japanese. The Army Air Forces quickly stripped the 317th of their new C-47s upon arrival in the theater, and in turn gave them the battered aircraft of the veteran 347th Troop Carrier Group. With an assortment of damaged C-47s, C-60s, and cargo versions of the B-17, the 317th set about their mission.
As the Japanese pounded the airdrome at Wau, New Guinea, the 317th endured monsoon conditions, flying low level supply drops to the Australian Army engaged on the airfield in hand-to-hand combat. This mission cost the 317th three aircraft and several men, and for their actions the group received their first Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC).
Spearheading a combined airborne-glider offensive in June 1945, the 317th dropped allied paratroopers over northern Luzon in the Philippine Islands. Enemy anti-aircraft fire was intense, forcing the group to make repeated passes over the drop zone. Soon the Japanese forces were weakened to the point of defeat. Once again the 317th was awarded the DUC for their outstanding performance.
Cold War
In 1948 with the war finally at an end, the 317th participated in one of the most widely known humanitarian efforts in history, the Berlin Airlift. From May through July the group air-dropped food supplies to the citizens of the Soviet blockaded city. Once the blockade had been lifted and their mission was complete, the 317th inactivated at Rhein Main Air Base, Germany in September.In July 1952, the Air Force reactivated the 317th at Rhein Main as the 317th Troop Carrier Wing. It became the first Air Force unit assigned to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Now flying C-119 "Boxcars", the 317th relocated to Neubiberg Air Base near Munich in 1953. Shortly after their arrival at the Bavarian base, newer C-123 transports arrived to compliment the C-119s.
The 317th continued to fly many humanitarian missions and support NATO airborne units throughout Europe. They airlifted life rafts, tents, and emergency food supplies to flood victims in the Netherlands, and aided thousands of earthquake victims in Italy, Greece, Pakistan and Yugoslavia among many others.
Post Vietnam era
Trained aircrews in adverse weather delivery system AWADS equipment for a C-130 squadron in Europe 1978–1980.See also
- United States Army Air Forces in AustraliaUnited States Army Air Forces in AustraliaDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Forces established a series of airfields in Australia for the collective defense of the country, as well as for conducting offensive operations against the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy...